Cardiac arrest is a serious heart condition. The word arrest means to stop or bring to a halt. In cardiac arrest, the heart ceases to beat. It's also known as sudden cardiac death. Cardiac arrest occurs when the rhythm of the heart stops. Cardiac arrest is an extreme and sudden medical emergency condition where the heart stops functioning.
Prior to the cardiac arrest the symptoms can be weakness, chest pain, vomiting, palpitations and lightheadness in patients with or without prior cardiac conditions
The patient with cardiac arrest may show - sudden collapse, no pulse, no breathing and loss of consciousness.
In an emergency with cardiac arrest, the immediate treatment is given by the bystander or EMS. CPR - cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is critical to treating sudden cardiac arrest. The EMS will then decide if the person needs defibrillation in the field based on their rhythm. The patient will then be transferred to the nearest hospital for further treatment.
Depending on the cause of the cardiac arrest, the treatment plan will be decided like coronary angioplasty, coronary bypass surgery and radiofrequency catheter ablation. Long-term treatment with medications will be started and need for the implantation of cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) will be assessed.